Crime: Rural Areas

The Government recognises the significant impact that offences such as agricultural machinery theft and fuel theft can have on rural communities, farmers and businesses. While rural crime is not recorded as a distinct category within police recorded crime and therefore no single centrally verified assessment of overall trends is available, we remain committed to strengthening the response to crimes that predominantly affect rural communities. The most significant policing reforms in nearly 200 years will ensure forces are better equipped to tackle modern crime threats, including organised equipment theft and wildlife crime, while restoring neighbourhood policing and supporting a stronger, more visible police presence in communities across England and Wales. Last financial year (FY25/26), the Home Office provided the first funding since 2023 for the National Rural Crime Unit (NRCU) and continued funding for the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU). We are continuing this funding of over £800,000 throughout 2026/27 to help these specialist policing units tackle crimes that predominantly affect rural communities. These units play key roles in helping police forces across the UK target organised crime groups stealing farm equipment and to disrupt criminal networks operating across force boundaries. The National Rural Crime Unit provides police forces with specialist operational support in their responses to rural crime, including the theft of farming and construction machinery, livestock theft, fly-tipping, fuel theft and equine crime. It also drives partnership working, supports intelligence sharing, shares best practice and encourages regional and national approaches to tackling these crimes. The National Wildlife Crime Unit provides intelligence, analysis and investigative assistance to forces and other law enforcement agencies across the UK to support the investigation of wildlife crime. Decisions on local policing priorities, resource allocation and officer deployment are operational matters for Chief Constables and elected policing bodies, which are best placed to determine the workforce, capabilities and operational structures required to meet local crime demands, including in rural communities.